Tray accessory for bathtubs



May 20, 1969 J. E LAVACCHIA I TRAY ACCESSORY FOR BATHTUBS Sheet of 2 Filed May 24, 1967 Invezzior h EiLavacciazbg 1% flfibz ney Jose? y 1969 J. E LAVACCHIA 3,444,564

TRAY ACCESSORY FOR BAFHTUF-S Filed May 24, 1967 Sheet of 2 1220922603 Josepoz Eliavaccizm,

United States Patent 3,444,564 TRAY ACCESSORY FOR BATHTUBS Joseph E. Lavacchia, 984 Main St., Woburn, Mass. 01801 Filed May 24, 1967, Ser. No. 640,906 Int. Cl. A47k 3/12 US. Cl. 4-185 This invention relates to a bathtub tray accessory and, more particularly, to a childs play tray designed to be detachably supported on or above a bathtub to hold toys, toilet articles, cleansing preparations and other 1tems in a convenient position for use.

It is a chief object of the invention to provide a bathtub tray accessory of a form suitable for being detachably secured on or above a tube in any one of a number of desired positions.

Another specific object is to devise a bathtub tray which can be attached along a top outer edge of a bathtub in a position to receive childrens toys and thereby constitute a play tray.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tray arrangement which is formed with protective side edges for conducting Water from wet toys and other articles downwardly into the tub.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a play tray which includes adjustable fastening means capable of being utilized in several different positions to provide for mounting the trays against either a horizontal surface or a vertical surface in several different ways and in variably spaced relationship with respect to horizontal and vertical supporting surfaces.

The nature of the invention and its other objects and novel features will be more fully understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bathroom wall having a bathtub installed thereagainst;

FIGURE 2 is a cross section taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is another fragmentary perspective view of a bathroom wall with an older type of bathtub installed therein showing the tray with fastening means adapted to fit against the rounded top of the tub;

FIGURE 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a detail plan view of suction fastening members and supporting bracket means;

FIGURE 6 is a detail cross sectional view showing the tray of FIGURES l and 2 in a reversed position and having suction cups adjusted to engage the tub with an inwardly depending shelf portion; and

FIGURE 7 is a detail cross sectional view illustrating the play tray of FIGURES 1 and 2 with suction fastening means adjusted to provide and secure the tray to both a vertical wall surface and an adjacent tub surface.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, numerals 2 and 4 denote bathroom wall surfaces against which is located a bathtub 6 having an outer horizontal shelf portion 8 and an inner horizontal shelf portion 10.

In accordance with the invention, I provide a bathtub tray accessory which is designed to be supported on or above the bathtub 6 for the purpose of receiving toys, toilet articles and various other items. I further provide adjustable fastening means including bracket elements formed with a plurality of threaded openings and holding members adapted to be attached in one or more of the threaded openings.

As shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, for example, the bathtub tray may comprise an elongated intermediate body 5 Claims 3,444,564 Patented May 20, 1969 portion 12 preferably molded or otherwise formed of rubber or plastic materials. The elongated body portion 12 is further formed with right angularly extending portions 14 and 16, together with two opposite end walls 18 and 20 shaped in the manner more clearly shown in FIG- URE 2.

For purposes of attaching this tray accessory on the bathtub 6, I further provide fastening means consisting of bracket elements and holding, such as suction cups, members adjustably secured to the bracket elements. These bracket elements are denoted in the drawings by the numerals 22 and 24 and they are formed with a plurality of spaced threaded openings 01, 02, 03, etc., more clearly shown in FIGURE 5. Each bracket element is attached to the bottom side of the tray body and each of the bracket elements have right angularly disposed portions to conform to the shape of the bottom side of the tray body.

Detachably secured in the threaded openings in the bracket elements by means of threaded elements as 25 and 27 are suction cup holding members as 26 and 30. As indicated in FIGURE 2, the suction cup members 26 and 30 are located through the respective bracket members in a position chosen with reference to the shape and size of the shelf 8 and the inner tub surface 7 so that suitable bearing adjustment is realized. By varying the spacing of the suction cups utilizing different threaded openings selected from the openings 01, 02, 03, etc., various width and shapes of tub edges may be accommodated.

It is pointed out that in this position the end walls 18 and 20, and the intervening portion 14, constitute an enclosure within which may be contained toys, toilet articles and other items particularly useful for a child sitting in the bathtub taking a bath. The arrangement of these end walls and the intervening portion 14, together with the depending portion 16, shown in FIGURE 2, insures that water dripping from toys or splashed up onto the tray will be conducted into the tub and prevented from running out onto the floor.

The tray may, utilizing the adjustability features described, be utilized with older type of tubs. For example, in FIGURES 3 and 4, I have illustrated a bath tub 6' of the older type having a rounded top edge 8', and I have also shown the tub 6' equipped with a tray corresponding to that shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 and supported on suction cups on the curved surface 8' of the tub 6'. The tub and tray components are denoted by the same but primed numerals. In the arrangement shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 it will be observed that the suction cups are relocated to more suitably fit the curved top edge 8' and the inner vertical surface of the tub in the manner shown.

I may also employ the tray in a reversed position to provide a shelf inside the tube. For example in FIGURE 6, I have shown another arrangement in which the tray may be utilized in a reverse position from that shown in FIGURES l and 2. As illustrated in FIGURE 6 the portion 16 is disposed on the top of the edge 8 with the suction cups 26 being relocated in their brackets 22 and 24 so as to engage in intermediate part of the top surface of the edge 8. In this arrangement the portion 14 becomes located in a depending position inside the tub so as to provide a shelf and the suction cup 30 is engaged against the inside surface of the tub. In this position of the tray accessory the shelf ortion constitutes a support on which the articles may be contained completely inside the tub where this arrangement may be desirable.

In FIGURE 7, I have shown still another arrangement in which the tray member is attached to both the inner Wall 2 and the tub surface 8. In this arrangement the suction cups 30 have been located at other points in the bracket openings to permit engagement with the tub surface 8 at desired points and the suction cups 26 have also been relocated in the bracket portions adjacent 14 to permit attachment against the wall surface 2 as shown. In this modified position a tray portion is provided at the inside of the tub rather than the outside and a somewhat more rigidly secured arrangement of the tray is realized since it solidly backs up against wall 2.

It will be apparent that the tray may be varied in shape and size and may be utilized with various other supporting surfaces in bathrooms and other areas, and other changes and modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An improved tray construction comprising an elongated body portion formed with right angularly disposed edges extending in opposite directions away from the body portion and fastening means transversely attached to the elongated body portion and to the right angularly disposed edges, said fastening means including spaced bracket elements having a plurality of holding members adjustably located therethrough.

2. A structure according to claim 1 in which the brackets are formed with threaded openings and the holding members consist of suction elements having threaded studs for engaging in said threaded openings.

3. In combination a bathtub having inner and other top edges and a bathtub tray accessory for engaging one of said edges and containing childrens toys, toilet articles and the like, said tray including a flat elongated body portion and right angularly disposed edges extending in opposite directions away from the body portion, fastening means secured to the elongated body portion and to the right angularly disposed edges and constructed and arranged to support the elongated body portion in a substantially horizontal disposed position on a top edge of the bathtub whereby one of the right angularly disposed edges constitutes a back wall for the tray and the other of the right angularly disposed edges comprises a depending apron portion.

4. A tray and tub combination according to claim 3 in which the fastening means include brackets having spaced threaded openings therethrough and a plurality of suction holding members adjustably secured in the openings in a position to support the tray in a position in which one of the edges is engaged on the top of the tub and the opposite edge comprises a shelf portion disposed inside of the tub.

5. A tray and tub combination according to claim 4 in which the brackets are formed with right angularly shaped portions for adjustably receiving suction holding devices in a position such that one of the tray edges may be engaged against a vertical wall while the elongated body portion is horizontally attached to the top of the tub adjacent to the wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 171,595 3/1954 Harriton 248-206 X 2,302,806 11/1942 Senter 4-185 X 2,709,816 6/1955 Lamb 4-239 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

HAROLD J. GROSS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN IMPROVED TRAY CONSTRUCTION COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY PORTION FORMED WITH RIGHT ANGULARLY DISPOSED EDGES EXTENDING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AWAY FROM THE BODY PORTION AND FASTENING MEANS TRANSVERSELY ATTACHED TO THE ELONGATED BODY PORTION AND TO THE RIGHT ANUGLARLY DISPOSED EDGES, SAID FASTENED MEANS INCLUDING SPACED BRACKET ELEMENTS HAVING A PLURALITY OF HOLDING MEMBERS ADJUSTABLY LOCATED THERETHROUGH. 